


instinct

by trixicinkflair



Series: dream smp fics [10]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And rightfully so, Anger, Angst, Blood, Brothers, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Crying, Dream gets his ass kicked, Duelling, Eventual Happy Ending, Gen, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, It's Fun Until It's Not, L'Manberg War of Independence on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Mild Blood, Older Sibling Wilbur Soot, Oops, Piglin Hybrid Wilbur Soot, Protective Siblings, Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Wilbur Soot, Siblings, Spoilers, Stabbing, Swordfighting, Swords, Tags Contain Spoilers, Temporary Character Death, Twins Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade are Siblings, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, and it's hilarious, and then it isn't, bc dream lol, in the words of patrichor, pls ao3 ffs just say cpr, well also tommy but shhh, wilbur goes fucking apeshit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:42:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29980281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trixicinkflair/pseuds/trixicinkflair
Summary: -[Technoblade has joined the game]His sword drops just a fraction as he processes the notification.It's the distraction Wilbur was waiting for. He takes the gap and slams Tommy backwards with his shoulder, knocking the sword from Tommy's hand. before Tommy can react, Wilbur has him pinned, and his sword is slicing right through Tommy's side. The air drains from his lungs, and he chokes on nothing."...Wilby?"-permission obtained from op to do a sort of spin off from their fic, go read it!! // fic is properly capitalized
Relationships: Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: dream smp fics [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2117223
Comments: 37
Kudos: 365





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [patrichor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrichor/gifts).
  * Inspired by [blood pounding like the beat of a drum](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28808454) by [patrichor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/patrichor/pseuds/patrichor). 



> in patrichor’s words, wilbur deserves to go fkn ape and dream deserves to get beat up,,,and honestly i’ve never agreed with anything more in my entire life. direct divergence from their fic starts right after techno joins the game.
> 
> friendly reminder that this is a roleplay and to not send hate to any of the cc’s. also pls don’t send this fic to them. if any of the cc’s at any time express discomfort with fanwork like this, i will take it down as soon as i am able!
> 
> ~ink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy lets out a long breath. He pulls his communicator from his pocket, hoping that Techno will bother to answer him.  
> There's a long pause, and Tommy almost begins to lose hope, and then Technoblade's voice comes through, faint and indistinct, like he isn't really paying attention to his communicator. "What?"  
> "Tech?" The name is a slip up on Tommy's part, an accident. He hasn't called Techno by his old nickname since they were kids, and it gets his brother's attention instantly.  
> "Tommy? What happened? Is Wilbur-"  
> "He's fine, but you need to come. We're outside of L'Manberg. Tech, he...he challenged Dream."

Tommy steps back reluctantly as Wilbur turns back to Dream. He really hopes his older brother knows what he's doing, especially now, with both Wilbur’s life _and_ one of Tommy’s own music discs on the line. Wilbur by his own admittance had never been a fighter.

"You're gonna be alright, aren't you?" Tubbo asks, shuffling over and gripping the edge of Wilbur's sleeve. Wilbur replies, too softly for Tommy to catch it, and he isn't looking at Wilbur again. He hears his brother move over to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He manages not to flinch.

"Tommy, you know why I couldn't do nothing while you put yourself in danger," he says softly.

Tommy huffs, still refusing to look up as he replies. "I know, but couldn't you have done it without putting yourself in danger?" he hisses. "You were the one who said it, Wilbur, you're not a fighter!" He's getting too loud and he knows it, drawing eyes from the crowd, even as the others pretend they aren't eavesdropping.

"Tommy," Wilbur says, voice still calm and level. "Look at me."

He does, finally, meeting his brother's eyes. Wilbur smiles, briefly, but it drops back into a blank mask almost instantly. "Tommy, I need you to do something for me."

Tommy really doesn't like where this conversation is going, but he nods. "Once it's over," Wilbur starts, holding up a hand as Tommy stiffens. "I need him to stop me."

"You mean...? You want me to call-" he starts, but Wilbur holds up a hand, and the words die in his throat. He sneaks a glance at Dream, who's swinging his sword through the air, not even watching them at all. "Okay," Tommy whispers. "If he can't...whatever happens, I'll make sure you don't hurt anyone," he promises.

Wilbur instantly looks like someone has taken a huge weight from his shoulders. "Thank you."

The time between Wilbur preparing and the beginning of the battle is much too short, and it feels like only seconds before Wilbur and Dream are rising to their feet, squaring off. It's clear even to Tommy that Dream has no idea who he's up against. Wilbur hands his boots to Tommy, who takes them and backs up hurriedly. As much as he loves his older brother, he still fears him. He's only ever seen him lose it once, and the resulting chaos (Technoblade hadn't been there to calm Wilbur down) wasn't something Tommy ever wants to see again.

"Three, two, one, fight!" someone calls, and Wilbur _moves_ , so fast Tommy blinked and missed him. One moment, Wilbur was tensed and ready, across from Dream, and when Tommy's eyes opened again, he's behind his opponent, slamming a foot into Dream's back and knocking him into the dirt. Dream looks shocked, faint realization spreading over his face, but not fast enough. Wilbur is moving again, ducking under a blow and knocking Dream back with a single blow of his sword's hilt into his opponent's jaw.

Tommy looks away, squeezing his eyes shut, and he feels Tubbo shift closer to him, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together. The pressure of their hands together is grounding, and Tommy lets out a long breath. He pulls his communicator from his pocket, hoping that Techno will bother to answer him.

There's a long pause, and Tommy almost begins to lose hope, and then Technoblade's voice comes through, faint and indistinct, like he isn't really paying attention to his communicator. "What?"

"Tech?" The name is a slip up on Tommy's part, an accident. He hasn't called Techno by his old nickname since they were kids, and it gets his brother's attention instantly.

"Tommy? What happened? Is Wilbur-"

"He's fine, but you need to come. We're outside of L'Manberg. Tech, he...he challenged Dream."

There's a faint curse, and then the sound of glass breaking. "I'm on my way. Try to keep everyone quiet. And Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't let anyone try to keep him distracted. You can hold your own, but keep everyone else clear. Hopefully I'll be there in time."

The comm goes dead, and Tommy straightens up, eyes closed. Tubbo's hand is still twined with his, and he tightens his grip, exhaling shakily. _Wilbur can hold his own against Dream.  
_

He turns back to the fight just in time to get a ping from the server.

**_[Dream was slain by WilburSoot]_ **

Fuck. Intervention time, then.

Sapnap (bloody _idiot_ , what is he doing?) lets out a strangled little noise, leaping forward, and Tommy sees the exact instant that Wilbur's focus shifts from the little cloud where Dream had been. His gaze locks into Sapnap, and George behind him, and he grins, feral and disconnected. Tommy lunges, shoving through the small crowd and stepping in front of Sapnap, who has rushed back to stand partially behind George. "Wait!" he yells. "Wilbur! Wil, you've got to stop!"

Wilbur just focuses on him instead, eyes showing nothing but anger. There isn't a single hint of the warmth and familiarity that Wilbur's gaze would normally hold, just cold bloodlust and that same haunting detached stare. "Wil," he tries again, and he clenches his hand as his voice shakes. His nails are digging into his palm, making little crescent-shaped dimples in his skin. He's handy with a sword, sure, and a damn good fighter, but he's never been able to beat Wilbur. Not even once.

He just barely manages to fend off a blow, stumbling back from the force behind it. He's managing to stay on his feet, which is more than he can say for the last time he got in a swordfight with his brother, but this time, the danger is very real. Last time, they'd been messing around, and Wilbur had stopped as soon as Tommy had gone down, helping him to his feet and laughing as he brushed dirt off Tommy's back.

This time, he knows that isn't going to happen. Wilbur doesn't even know who he's fighting, or why. Another ping from his communicator, now lying in the dirt at his feet, and he glances at it out of pure instinct.

**[Technoblade has joined the game]**

His sword drops just a fraction as he processes the notification.

It's the distraction Wilbur was waiting for. He takes the gap and slams Tommy backwards with his shoulder, knocking the sword from Tommy's hand. Before Tommy can react, Wilbur has him pinned, and his sword is slicing right through Tommy's side. The air drains from his lungs, and he chokes on nothing.

"...Wilby?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo, is disc spelled with a k or a c in the united states? /gen
> 
> i'm too tired to care (nor do i have the faintest idea) how communicators work, so...you get what you get, i guess. i mean, it works, and it links up to what patrichor put in their fic, with tommy actually speaking into it. the lore of the dsmp confuses me, i really have no idea how anything happens lol.
> 
> ~ink


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur grins, both disgusted and pleased at how easy it was to turn Dream from a fear-inspiring god to a simple man just as they all truly are under their battle scars and their masks.  
> ( ~~There's a part of Tommy that's fiercely pleased at that, at the fear Wilbur has instilled in someone Tommy thought was untouchable. _Even gods can be brought to their knees._~~ )

The nickname hits Wilbur like a punch to the gut, and the mania clears from his eyes like someone flipped a switch. "Tommy? Oh my g-"

Tommy opens his mouth to cut him off, lie, tell him he isn't hurt, and then Technoblade is there, slamming into Wilbur and sending them both to the ground, kicking the sword away and locking his brother in his arms.

The other hybrid flails wildly, eyes momentarily going empty as he tries to fend off the attack.

It takes a long moment before Wilbur's struggles slow, which Tommy uses to get back to his feet and straighten his rumpled uniform.

No one seems to have noticed Wilbur's sword catching him, his body probably blocking the crowd's view, but the blood is bound to stain through his shirt.

Tommy pulls his coat closer around him, hoping to have enough time to just get back to his house, at least. Techno is already eyeing him like he suspects something, but that could be because Wilbur had attacked Tommy at all.

Wilbur's eyes clear, and his gaze instantly sweeps the crowd. "Tech? Who...did I hurt anyone?"

Technoblade glances at Tommy, raising an eyebrow. He shakes his head, and Technoblade passes along the message. Wilbur slumps in his twin's arms, energy sapped out of him just as quickly as it had spurred him on.

 _Thank you,_ he mouths at Tommy, who gives his brother a pained grin, lips pressed firmly together to keep a whimper from slipping out. Wilbur is instantly on alert, gaze sharpening.

"Tommy?" he calls, disentangling himself from Technoblade's arms and hurrying over. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"You were about to stab him when I arrived," Techno offers up, and Tommy shoots him an exhausted glare. _Tattletale._

"It's fine, you missed," he lies. "I'm just bruised, I hit the ground a little harder than I thought I would. I got through to you, just for a second."

"I...I remember," Wilbur says. "There was a moment, and then-"

Technoblade obviously fills in the blanks himself, brow furrowing. "You snapped him out of it, and then I...sorry, Wilbur."

Wilbur just brushes the apology off. "Nobody got hurt, that's the important bit." He turns on his heel, grinning at Dream. "Well?" he calls.

Dream takes a step back nervously as Wilbur turns to him. Wilbur grins at that, both disgusted and pleased at how easy it was to turn Dream from a fear-inspiring god to a simple man just as they all truly are under their battle scars and their masks.

~~There's a part of Tommy that's fiercely pleased at that, at the fear Wilbur has instilled in someone Tommy thought was untouchable. _Even gods can be brought to their knees._~~

"As stated by the agreed upon terms, the...the SMP recognizes L'Manberg as its own, independent nation," Dream calls, and Tubbo and Tommy whoop.

Fundy stays back, looking slightly reluctant. Wilbur just grins a little, reaching out to gently pat his son on the head, who relaxes at Wilbur's touch.

Dream slinks off, and Wilbur turns to Tommy and Techno. "So...what now?"

Tommy laughs at how absurdly pleased his brother looks, and he grits his teeth as his side burns fiercely in protest. "Home?"

Wilbur's smile has never been so victorious, and the gleam in his eyes is contagious, his triumphant energy seeping into Tommy's exhaustion and chasing it out.

"Home," Wilbur agrees, and loops an arm carefully over Tommy's shoulder, not placing any pressure on him. Fuck, how suspicious _is_ his brother?

The door of Tommy's shitty little dirt house shuts behind them, and Wilbur is instantly scrutinizing him. "So. Are you sure you didn't get hurt?"

It takes everything Tommy has in him to laugh and shove Wilbur's shoulder playfully. "Yeah, don't worry, I've gone through worse than getting pushed around by you," he teases.

Wilbur relaxes a little, and Tommy exhales silently, turning away so Wilbur won't see the relief that is no doubt spreading over his face.

"So...you hungry?" he asks, flicking the stove on. "I have some bread and soup left."

Wilbur hesitates, then shrugs, hopping up into a chair at the counter. "Sure, if you're offering."

Tommy glances at the door. "Get Techno in here, he looks dumb as fuck just standing by the door like that."

The adrenaline rush is finally starting to wear off, and Tommy's voice trails off a little at the end, but fortunately, Wilbur doesn't seem to notice. He pushes himself to his feet and pulls the door open.

"Tech."

Their brother turns, the blade of the axe in his hands glimmering with enchantments. It's much more noticeable in the growing darkness; the sun is going down already.

Wilbur jerks his head towards the living room. "In. Tommy's making food."

Techno lumbers in, grumbling under his breath about Dream. "Gotta be ready," he mumbles to Wil.

Tommy pretends he can't hear them, banging the pot down on the stove just a little bit harder than he means to in his attempt to appear like he isn't eavesdropping.

"He won't come back so soon. Even _he_ isn't _that_ arrogant. He knows who he's dealing with now, it'll be enough to make him think twice. He'll want a fail proof game plan before he returns."

A pause, and then Wilbur sighs shakily, running a hand through his hair and tugging at the strands. It's a habit that he's never really been able to break, and it's gotten worse the last few weeks, what with the stress of trying to keep an entire nation afloat, alongside fueling a dying rebellion.

"Unfortunately, I don't know how many citizens of L'Manberg will want to continue to follow me after this. I've given them plenty enough reason to not trust me."

Agony lances down Tommy's side as he shifts to grab bowls, and his hiss of startled pain is enough to draw both of his brothers' attention.

"Soup and bread's ready," he says, hoping the promise of food will be enough to distract them. "Slammed my damn fingers in the drawer, though."

Techno shakes his head, scoffing, though Wilbur doesn't look convinced. "Tommy, stand up again for a moment, would you?"

Confused and a little nervous, Tommy complies, hoping his instantaneous compliance will distract whatever suspicious Wilbur obviously holds.

Too fast. His head starts spinning, and he stumbles, catching himself on the edge of the counter. "Wil, I can explain," he says. His words sound a little slurred. He should probably say it again, make sure Wilbur understood him. "I can explain," he repeats, but, although coherent this time, it comes out as a whisper.

Is the ground getting closer?

He's so tired.

Hopefully Wilbur and Techno won't mind if he just...takes a little nap before he eats.

That sounds nice.

**Author's Note:**

> honestly if anyone is OOC i really don't care, i'm letting this fic write itself, mostly. let me have my au headcanons, thank you love.
> 
> yo also, come say hi on twitter, i'm @wrenshiraeth. i post dsmp concept threads and sometimes little previews of my fics.
> 
> ~ink


End file.
